Computer glitch led to premature approval of dozens of divorce applications, High Court hears
A High Court hearing has been told that dozens of divorce applications submitted a day before the law allows were wrongly approved due to a computer error. A hearing was told that 79 divorces were approved incorrectly after an online system failed to detect that they were submitted exactly a year after marriage when the […]
Wilsons Solicitors launches ‘one lawyer, one couple’ solution
South-west and London law firm Wilsons Solicitors has launched its new service which gives separating couples an opportunity to divorce amicably with just one lawyer. The new service is designed for couples who want to make a decision together over their individual needs, and if they are parents, their children’s. This approach aims to reduce […]
£22billion NHS cash injection after damning’ Darzi report revealed 350,000 people waited a year for mental health support and infants endured long A&E waits
The announcement of a £22 billion increase in NHS funding brings welcome relief for health leaders, with the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) estimating this amounts to a real-terms increase of around four per cent per year over the next two years. Rachel Reeves said in the budget today, that alongside a larger pot for […]
Women’s Aid responds to budget saying they are ‘concerned’ about government’s ability to meet manifesto commitment to end VWAG in 10 years
A charity has outlined their ‘concern’ that Labour can end violence against women and girls (VWAG) within 10 years after there were no explicit mention of it as the autumn budget was rolled out in the commons on Wednesday. During their election campaign Labour suggested they would put in place policing reforms to ‘end violence […]
County Court Bailiff denied right to bring emotional support dog to work-tribunal dismisses claims
In a recent employment tribunal decision, a county court bailiff who sought permission to bring her miniature Yorkshire terrier as an emotional support animal during home visits faced dismissal of her claims for failure to make reasonable adjustments related to a disability. The tribunal also rejected her claims of disability-related harassment. Ms. D Cullingford, the […]
Man jailed for over two years for creating and sharing sexually explicit deepfake images
A 47-year-old man has been sentenced to more than two years in prison for creating and distributing sexually explicit deepfake images using the faces of real women and children, as reported by The BBC. Karl Marshall, of Rufford Road, Southport, pleaded guilty to multiple offences at Liverpool Crown Court. Between July 2023 and January 2024, […]
LSB appoints barrister to the Office for Legal Complaints
The Legal Services Board (LSB) announces the appointment of barrister Elaine Banton as a non-lay member of the Office for Legal Complaints (OLC). The LSB oversees the OLC, the board of the Legal Ombudsman, making appointments to its board of both lay and non-lay members. Non-lay members are legally qualified. As a barrister, Elaine acts […]
Government releases 1,100 more prisoners early to ease overcrowding crisis
The UK government has released 1,100 additional prisoners early as part of its ongoing emergency plan to address severe overcrowding in jails across England and Wales. Under the scheme, offenders serving sentences longer than five years are being released on licence after serving 40% of their sentence. However, those convicted of serious violent crimes, sex […]
Law Society’s new AI strategy: The three I’s
The Law Society of England and Wales has announced its new artificial intelligence (AI) strategy based on three pillars: Innovation, Impact and Integrity. AI is already driving Innovation across the legal sector. At the core of the new strategy is Integrity to ensure AI is used in a responsible and ethical way. The Law Society’s […]
Burgess Mee and Rosefield Divorce Consultancy announce ‘Trauma in Family Law’ collaboration
Specialists from Burgess Mee, the family and private wealth law firm, and Rosefield Divorce Consultancy launch a trauma collaboration and call for all family law professionals to be trauma-informed. As Burgess Mee co-founder and partner, Peter Burgess, said that working in the family courts without an understanding of the impact of trauma “risks evidence being […]
Refuge calls for tech-facilitated abuse to be a priority in government VAWG strategy
The domestic abuse charity Refuge is calling on the government to make tackling technology-facilitated abuse a key part of its plan to halve VAWG (violence against women and girls). To meet rising demand, Refuge set up a specialist technology-facilitated abuse and economic empowerment service in 2017, the only one of its kind in England. Since […]
LawCare focuses on the impact of grief and loss in the legal profession this November
This November, LawCare is focusing on the profound impact of grief and loss in the legal sector. Grief and loss are the feelings of sadness and pain that people feel when they lose something or someone important to them. This can happen when someone close to them dies, a pregnancy loss occurs, a relationship ends […]
QS acquisition creates multi-disciplinary professional services group
QualitySolicitors (QS) has announced it has brought an independent body of accountancy practices under a new multi-disciplinary umbrella group to ‘enhance capability, drive sustainable growth and improve efficiency, effectiveness and safety’ of member firms. CharterGroup, established in 1986, is a membership body for accountancy firms in UK and Ireland, and a member of the global […]
Law Society hails Government’s industrial strategy ‘bold and ambitious’
The UK government has unveiled it’s industrial strategy, a 10-year-plan to focus on boosting the ‘strongest sectors of the economy’. The Law Society has welcomed the new plan, with bosses hailing the strategy ‘bold and ambitious’. The society saythey will be reviewing the plan and contributing to the consultation. Ian Jeffery, chief executive of the […]
‘Roevember’ gains celebrity support in build up to US Presidential elections as women of Arizona said to have ‘the same abortion rights as 1864’
In the build-up to the US presidential elections a campaign called ‘Roevember’ has gained celebrity support and considerable traction online in a bid to encourage the public to vote for Democrat candidate Kamala Harris. After the historic overturning of the Roe v Wade abortion law has seen Arizona women prevented from terminating a pregnancy unless […]
Law Society publishes guidance to support Black or minority ethnic students entering the profession
To coincide with Black History Month, the Law Society of England and Wales has published new guidance to support Black or minority ethnic students entering into the profession. The guidance provides advice on: Challenging assumptions and overcoming barriers; Securing a training opportunity; and Funding opportunities. Aspiring solicitors are encouraged to obtain a training opportunity by […]
Convicted child sex offender worked illegally as security guard
A man deemed a child sex offender has been given a suspended sentence after lying about his offences to work as a security guard in Cardiff. Soltan May worked twice during October and November 2023 at Freightliner, a rail freight company. He failed to notify the Security Industry Authority (SIA) or his employer that he […]
‘She didn’t want to believe he was a monster’ family teams up with police for domestic abuse campaign after barbaric murder of Holly Bramley,26
A domestic abuse campaign spanning six weeks has started in remembrance of Holly, Bramley, a 26-year-old animal lover from Lincoln who was murdered at the hands of her husband. The campaign has been supported by Holly’s family; her mother Annette Bramley and sister Sarah-Jayne Lindop have teamed up with Lincolnshire Police and the Lincolnshire Domestic […]
Rushed bidding process for criminal legal aid risks deepening crisis
Key decisions on the future of criminal legal aid must be taken before expecting firms to bid for new 10-year contracts, the Law Society has warned. Currently, firms are being asked to bid for new 10-year criminal legal aid contracts. This has been met with criticism from the Law Society who say the government’s decision […]
Latest Family Court from MoJ shows report a 17 per cent increase in the number of both finance and private law children cases closed
Today the Ministry of Justice released the quarterly figures for family law statistics which has shown an increase in closed private law cases involving children, quicker care proceedings and a decrease in domestic violence remedy applications, with an increase in orders made. Domestic violence remedy order applications decreased by one per cent compared to the […]